Volume 6, Issue 18 │May 6, 2022

The IOA can assist you with finding a perfect candidate to fill your position or if you are looking for a position, we can assist you in finding a great fit in the area of the state where you are looking!

Please fill out the form at the link below and the IOA will attempt to connect you with a hiring Doctor or a Doctor looking for a position, whichever category you fall under.

This week, IOA C.E.O. Leigh Ann Vanausdoll attended a political fundraiser for Speaker of the House Emmanuel "Chris" Welch. Leigh Ann thanked Speaker Welch for his support of legislation that granted optometrists the authority to administer COVID vaccinations.

The IOA was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Robert Strasser on April 28, 2022. Dr. Strasser graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in 1987 and practiced optometry at Visibly Better Eye Care in Lake Zurich and Mettawa, IL. Services were held on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Our deepest condolences go out to Dr. Strasser's family and his colleagues at Visibly Better Eye Care.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has issued an update on telehealth reimbursement guidelines for commercial claims in light of recent CMS changes. POS 02 was changed from "telehealth or telemedicine" to "telehealth provided other than in a patient's home." BCBS has instructed providers to continue using POS 02 for commercial telehealth claims, even when telehealth is provided in a patient's home. Providers should not use POS 10 until instructed to do so. Appropriate modifiers (GT or 95) should continue to be used if the procedure code isn't inherently telehealth in the description. This guidance only applies to telehealth services provided to commercial BCBSIL members. Medicare Advantage plans should continue to follow CMS guidelines on the appropriate use of POS 02 and POS 10.

5/18/2022: SWIOS Meeting & CE

5/19/2022: Mid-State Optometric Society Meeting & CE

6/2/2022: SWIOS Meeting & CE

6/29/2022: Fox Valley Meeting & CE (details coming soon!)

9/29 - 10/2/22: IOA Annual Meeting

Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!

ODs Wanted:

Chicago:

FULL-TIME OPPORTUNITY IN AN ESTABLISHED PRIVATE PRACTICE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO. (Read more)

Northern IL:

Progressive primary care practice is looking for a FT or PT, patient-focused Optometrist in northern suburbs of Chicago. (Read more)

Equipment for Sale:

FOR SALE - Optos Daytona 

-purchased in 2018, used in solo practice (Read more)

Every year, Medicaid patients must go through a redetermination process to continue receiving medical benefits through the IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The process is done automatically and when the beneficiary's income level is found to be within the medical income standard, the patient qualifies for automatic redetermination and no response is required. If they do not qualify for automatic redetermination, the beneficiary is sent Form 2381 or Form 2381B and the patient has 30 days to respond either by mail, fax, or online. If the beneficiary responds, their medical coverage will remain unchanged until a review is completed. If they do not respond, benefits will be canceled. If medical coverage is canceled because the redetermination form was not returned, there is a 90-day reinstatement period. If the form is returned in the 90-day period, benefits are reinstated without a break in coverage.

Medicaid beneficiaries should make sure the mailing address on file with HFS is up-to-date. Information may be updated by phone or online:

The Carbondale Reporter notes that State Rep. Paul Jacobs, OD, is hosting a "Pints & Politics" fundraiser on May 12 at Mary's Restaurant in Herrin, IL. Jacobs will face Aaron Smith, a construction business owner in Marion, in the June 28th primary election. Follow the link below to learn more about the fundraiser.

Offices utilizing Arctic Dx's weekly in-office COVD testing program recently received a notice that the program would be discontinued. After several offices reached out, Arctic Dx has chosen to continue the program into at least early June, when they will re-evaluate the need for the program.

As a reminder, the Executive Order mandating that all health care workers must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly (at minimum) testing for COVID-19 is still in effect. Employers must either maintain proof of vaccination status or proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests in their personnel files.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 30,633 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 46 deaths since April 29, 2022. According to the CDC, 14 counties in Illinois are now rated at the Medium Community Level, including nine counties in the northeast part of the state and five in the central part. At the Medium Community Level, people at risk of severe health outcomes are advised to take additional precautions to protect themselves from the virus, including masking up in indoor spaces.

The CDC reported that 14 Illinois counties are now listed at the Medium Community Level: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will and Winnebago in northeastern Illinois; and Sangamon, Champaign, Douglas, Logan and McLean in the center of the state. At the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places. In addition, they should make sure to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or get their 2nd booster, if eligible.

IDPH has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized treatments. There are over 1,200 treatment locations in Illinois - including all the major retail pharmacies. More than 96.7% of the state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these locations.

IDPH Director Tokars stressed: “It is not too late to get vaccinated if you have been waiting to do so. Vaccines are widely available, and everybody is welcome. If you need help finding a location near you, just go to www.vaccines.gov or call your local health department.”

A total of 22,018,536 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 14,163 doses. Since April 29, 2022, 99,144 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 68% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 51% of the vaccinated population is boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data indicates that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to date on their vaccinations.

State health officials are stressing the following precautions for those who are at high risk for serious illness:

*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov. 

For more information or questions about the AOA’s advocacy efforts, please contact the AOA’s federal advocacy team at advocacy@aoa.org.

Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, May 11, at 11:59pm CDT.